To many, Mikhail Gorbachev seemed to come out of nowhere in 1985 to become the leader of the USSR. In some ways, his example supports the “great person” view of history, which is deeply ironic since he came out of the Marxist-Leninist milieu with its emphasis on the impersonal forces of history. Mikhail Gorbachev, 1987 … Continue reading Mikhail Gorbachev, 1931-2022
PRIMARY ELECTION DAY (National Archives Identifier 545384) Election Day is the annual day set by law for the election of public officials. It is statutorily set by the Federal Government as “the Tuesday after the first Monday in the month of November.” In the records of the National Register of Historic Places, there are about … Continue reading Vote Early, Vote Often! Election Day Records in the National Register of Historic Places
From October 19-22, 2022, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) held its 50th anniversary fall conference in College Park, Maryland (just a stone's throw from the National Archives at College Park). This afforded the opportunity for many colleagues local to the area to attend the conference, hear what's currently happening throughout the field, network, and … Continue reading Research Services at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference
Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records. In honor of both National Native American Heritage Month and Veterans Day, today I want to highlight through our Bureau of Indian Affairs records one of the many Natives who answered our nation’s call in times of war. … Continue reading Meet Sgt. Eva Mirabal/Eah Ha Wa (Taos Pueblo); Women’s Army Corps Artist
On October 30th, 1938 a “Very grave and serious situation” occurred in Trenton, New Jersey that, according to city manager Paul Morton, “crippled the communication facilities” of their police department. According to Morton, 2000 phone calls were received in 2 hours with many callers concerned that relatives had been killed in the “catastrophe” that was broadcast over WABC radio.
Situated as it is in the mid-Atlantic region, the weather in Washington, DC is extremely variable. The region experiences four distinct seasons a year, but within each season there can be wild swings in the weather. This is particularly true in winter and summer. During the winter, the city can experience days or weeks that … Continue reading Washington DC Weather and Diplomatic Protocol, 1959
U.S. Department of Agriculture building (National Archives Identifier 148743055) For all of you people out there who are sipping your pumpkin spice lattes (personally, not a fan), welcome to autumn, the season of harvests, leaf peeping, crisp walks, and trick-or-treating. There are many properties in the National Register that are specific to agriculture, farms, barns, … Continue reading Harvest Time! Agricultural Records in the National Register of Historic Places
Today's post was written by Matthew DiBiase, archives specialist at the National Archives at Philadelphia. A new exhibit showcasing the impact sports have had on America has opened at the National Archives Museum. All American: The Power of Sports spans centuries of United States history and features more than 75 original items from National Archives’ … Continue reading Face Off: Derek Sanderson vs. the NHL
Today's post was written by Andrew Salyer, archives technician at the National Archives at Philadelphia. National Archives staff reference staff respond to thousands of requests for records every year, and many of those requests are for naturalization records. These records are pretty standard, oftentimes looking very similar to one another…but not always. During the course … Continue reading Morose Marginalia on Naturalization Records
Until 1980, the failure by Congress to enact funding legislation for U.S. government agencies did not lead to a shutdown. In that year, however, an interpretation of the 1884 Antideficiency Act by Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti determined that the lack of a funding legislation requires that U.S. government agencies curtail their activities and services, cease … Continue reading Do We Have a Budget?
